The London Gazette of TUESDAY, the 6Th of JANUARY, 1948 by Registered As a Newspaper
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tRwmb. 38171 191 SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette Of TUESDAY, the 6th of JANUARY, 1948 by Registered as a newspaper THURSDAY, 8 JANUARY, 1948 THE FINAL STAGES OF THE NAVAL WAR IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE. The following despatch was submitted to the for the most vital ports were formed, and who Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on the throughout, by his personal interest in the ^th December, 1945, by Admiral Sir progress of the planning, had done everything HAROLD M. BURROUGH, K.C.B., possible to make matters go smoothly. K.B.E., D.S.O., British Naval Commander- 5. The co-operation and assistance received in-<Chief, Germany. from the Personnel Departments of the British Naval Commander-in-Chief, Germany, Admiralty and from Plans Division (Q), were s c/o Admiralty. also notable. 4th December, 1945. (Signed) H. M. BURROUGH, Admiral. Be pleased to lay (before Their Lordships the enclosed copy of my report to the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, on THE FINAL STAGES OF THE NAVAL WAR the Final Stages of the Naval -War in North- IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE. West Europe. Office of Allied Naval Commander-in-Chieft 2. As explained in my covering letter to the Expeditionary Force. Supreme Commander, the aim of this report i$th July, 1945. is to supplement the detailed information and statistics in the War Diaries and thus to pro- I have the honour to submit the enclosed vide a continuous narrative which is brief, but report, outlining the activities of the Allied at the same time contains sufficient detail and Naval Forces under my command from the references to facilitate research into any particu- time of the crossing of the Rhine, to the I3th lar period or episode. July, 1945, when your period of command as 3. Reports of proceedings were rendered at Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary the time in respect of most of the episodes de^ Force, was terminated. scribed in the narrative of this period, but no 2. The aim of this report is to supplement separate report has been rendered on the naval the information in the War Diaries, which were arrangements for the occupation of Germany. rendered periodically from D Day onwards, by 4. I would bring to Their Lordships' notice, a narrative which is of sufficient brevity that the co-operation and assistance received from a busy man might find time to read it, but the Commanders-in-Chief, The Nore, Ports- which mentions all important" events so that mouth and Plymouth, in regard to the forma- the historian may find clues for more detailed tion of the Naval Parties destined for iperinany research. which were thus able to move to their destina- 3. This was a period of widespread and tions with far less delay than had been thought histprical activity for all- the Sea, Land and possible. The lion's share of the credit for this Air Forces under, your command. The naval must go to the Commander-in-Chlef, The Nore, role in these crowning achievements was Admiral of the Fleet Sir John C. Tovey, G.C.B., primarily to ensure the maintenance of the K.B.E., D.S.O., in whose Command the Parties Annies and Air Forces in the field by protecting IQ2 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 8 JANUARY, 194$ their lines of communication where they crossed 2. Early in March, 1945, a force of L.C.M.s the sea. This had 'been their primary role and L.C.V.(P)s*, known as Force " U " and since the 6th June, 1944, but with the supple- under the command of Captain P. H. G. James, mentary , operations undertaken during these ,R.N., was formed! to assist the, 2ist Army months, and the preparation of the naval Group in crossing the Rhine. forces of occupation, the period becomes one of A corresponding force of United States greater naval activity than any since the days landing craft had been formed the previous of maintenance over the beaches. winter to assist the American Armies, and both 4. More than the other Services, the United British and U.S. craft were transported overland States and British Navies felt the demands with their crews and all equipment in tank of the Naval War in the Far East during this transporters. time, with the resultant considerable with- In fact, only L.C.V.(P)s were used on drawals from the naval strength at my disposal. account of their greater manoeuvrability and With many unknown commitments ahead and they proved extremely useful for such jobs as many plans awaiting fruition, this reduction towing sections of pontoon bridges. They also in our naval strength would have caused me did a certain amount of ferrying, notably in the more uneasiness had I not had ample evidence American sector where they did valiant work that fortitude and hard work would enable the under fire in the Remagen Bridge area. Allied Navies to accomplish all that was re- quired of them, despite reductions in their 3. At the request of the Allied Armies, small strength. boom and asdic parties were supplied at the Rhine crossing with the object of preventing 5. In these latter days, the French Navy was German midget submarines, explosive boats rapidly gaming in strength and it was a proud and saboteur swimmers from interfering with moment when French Naval Forces took part our communications. All were of great assist- in the operation for the liberation of-Bordeaux, ance as the Germans made some determined but the first major operation they had undertaken fruitless efforts with these weapons. under my command. 4. On the lower Rhine and West Scheldt 6. But it is to the combined work of the estuary, the naval Force " T ", under Captain United States and British Navies that the future A. F. Pugsley, C.B., D.S.O., R.N., con- historian will turn for an example of faultless tinued to be responsible for the protection of team work and mutual understanding between the seaward flank of our Armies and carried out nations, that may be equalled in the future but a constant succession of Commando raids, surely never surpassed. Tradition and custom, mostly by L.C.A.,f on the enemy's positions in the parents of procedure, are very deeply the area. These raids were almost uniformly rooted in all Navies and when one Navy is successful. placed under the Commander-in-Chief of 5. Craft of both Force " T" and Force another nationality, the procedure of his own ".U " took part in the final crossings of the Service must^be paramount in both. No ex- Rhine when the Canadian Army was advancing ception occurred in this case, and the United westward into Holland. States Navy readily adapted itself to the re- quirements of a closely knit British Naval Tasks facing the Allied Navies after the Rhine organisation.. Crossing. 7. The foundations of this, the most fruitful 6. With the crossing of the Rhine accom- and harmonious naval combination of all time, plished, a survey of the wider scene found the were laid by my predecessor, the late Admiral Allied Navies charged with the following Sir Bertram H. Ramsay, K.C.B., K.B.E., variety of tasks: — M.V.O., and I am proud to be able to claim (a) The provision of specialised seagoing that the co-operation between our two Services ships and craft required for the maintenance has grown no less since his passing. of the Allied Annies in the field, together 8. As the best expression of my feelings at with the responsibility shared with the Com- the time of the termination of our great enter- mander-in-Chief, The Nore, for .the pro- prise, I reproduce the messages made by me tection of merchant shipping used for the on the occasions of the termination of the same purpose. Supreme Command and the last U.S. Naval (6) The working of the ports through Forces leaving the European Theatre of Opera- which the main stream of military imports tions, together with the replies made by your- flowed. Some 10,000 tons of stores on self and Admiral H. R. Stark, Commander, British account and 20,000 tons on U.S. U.S. Naval Forces in Europe. account were passing through Antwerp daily, while the main personnel traffic passed (Signed}. H. M. BURROUGH, through Ostend and Calais in the British zone Admiral. and Le Havre in the U.S. zone. (c) Preparation of Naval Parties to GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWE-R, U.S. Army, participate in the occupation of Germany Supreme Commander, including the provision of an operational Allied Expeditionary Force. Port Party to open the port of Hamburg. Arrangements for naval representation on the THE FINAL STAGES OF THE NAVAL WAR IN S.H.A.E.F. Missions to Denmark and NORTH-WEST EUROPE. Norway. The direct contribution of the Allied Navies * Admiralty footnote: L.C.M.—landing craft for to the crossing of the Rhine was the assistance mechanised transport. they provided at the crossing, and to the Armies L.C.V.(P)—landing craft for personnel. operating on the western flank in the east • f Admiralty footnote: L.C.A.—landing craft for Scheldt area. assaulting troops.- SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 8 JANUARY, 1948 193 (d) The provision of naval assistance for horn) which was considered necessary to enable the reduction of pockets of resistance on the minesweeping operations to begin in the Weser- west coast of France. Most of these pockets and Elbe Estuaries. had only -nuisance value to the immediate war effort but importance was attached to the Protection of Shipping.